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- Tasks: Join a global team to maintain and enhance mainframe systems for a leading bank.
- Company: Be part of a prestigious bank known for its innovation and reliability in financial services.
- Benefits: Enjoy competitive pay, flexible working options, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Why this job: Work on cutting-edge technology while collaborating with talented professionals in a dynamic environment.
- Qualifications: 10+ years in mainframe CICS software; strong problem-solving skills required.
- Other info: Opportunity to upskill junior programmers and contribute to impactful projects.
The predicted salary is between 48000 - 72000 £ per year.
As a CICS System Programmer, the candidate will be part of a Global team responsible for building, configuring, and maintaining the Bank’s mainframe systems availability, efficiency, and resilience, underpinned by the architectural principle of cloned infrastructure, system configurations, applications.
Key Responsibilities:
- Perform mainframe CICS software upgrades coupled with administration and tuning to support mainframe environments. Current version is CICS 5.6.
- Provide high degree of technical support (24*7) to reduce the likelihood of significant service outage or disaster.
- Analyse new versions of CICS for functionality improving systems performance and reduce cost.
- Tracking and analyzing performance and resource utilization of CICS systems.
- Recommend changes, upgrades, and enhancements based on the technical analysis.
- Perform problem diagnostics and resolutions as well.
- Participate in incident and problem management activities related to applications and CICS.
- Encourage and ensure collaboration across functional users and vendors to provide guidance and manage different tasks with a “can-do” attitude.
- Execute project and internal initiative responsibilities as assigned or delegated.
- Walking ahead by being enthusiastic and responsible for strengthening and developing system skills.
- Develop and maintain operational documentation, best practices, and run books for the operational platform.
- Upskill junior systems programmers.
Mandatory skills:
- Have 10+ years of experience of installing and/or customizing mainframe CICS software in Large Data sharing environments.
- Have 5+ years of experience with CICSplex and CICS Explorer to manage CICS systems.
- Solid understanding of resource definitions and its dependencies.
- CF structures and its practical use in a business environment.
- Experience with Omegamon and Fault Analyzer along with basic dump analysis skills on IPCS.
- Experience in cloning and sunsetting CICS regions.
- Basic understanding of CICS security with RACF.
- Exposure to working with SMF 110 records and its practical application in terms of problem determination.
- Strong problem determination skills in both system and application areas.
- Proficient in working with high availability environment along with alignment to process (ITIL).
- Experience working with and maintaining other vendor tools for CICS as well as exposure to common z/OS tools like SDSF RMF etc.
- Experience with automating CICS events via CICSplex RTA and/or system automation tools on z/OS.
CICS System Programmer (Mainframe) employer: Ampstek
Contact Detail:
Ampstek Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land CICS System Programmer (Mainframe)
✨Tip Number 1
Familiarise yourself with the latest CICS features and enhancements, especially those in version 5.6. Being able to discuss these updates during your interview will demonstrate your proactive approach and technical knowledge.
✨Tip Number 2
Network with professionals in the mainframe community, particularly those who work with CICS. Engaging in forums or attending relevant meetups can provide insights into industry trends and may even lead to referrals.
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare to showcase your problem determination skills by discussing specific challenges you've faced in previous roles. Highlighting your experience with tools like Omegamon and Fault Analyzer will set you apart from other candidates.
✨Tip Number 4
Demonstrate your understanding of ITIL processes and how they relate to maintaining high availability environments. This knowledge is crucial for the role and will show that you can align with the company's operational standards.
We think you need these skills to ace CICS System Programmer (Mainframe)
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV highlights your 10+ years of experience with mainframe CICS software and your familiarity with CICSplex and CICS Explorer. Use specific examples to demonstrate your skills in problem determination and system administration.
Craft a Strong Cover Letter: In your cover letter, express your enthusiasm for the role and the company. Mention your experience with high availability environments and your ability to provide 24/7 technical support. Relate your past achievements to the responsibilities listed in the job description.
Showcase Relevant Skills: Highlight your knowledge of resource definitions, CF structures, and CICS security with RACF. Be sure to mention any experience you have with Omegamon, Fault Analyzer, and basic dump analysis skills on IPCS, as these are crucial for the role.
Prepare for Technical Questions: Anticipate technical questions related to CICS software upgrades, performance analysis, and incident management. Be ready to discuss your approach to problem diagnostics and how you've successfully managed CICS systems in the past.
How to prepare for a job interview at Ampstek
✨Showcase Your Technical Expertise
Make sure to highlight your extensive experience with CICS software, especially in large data sharing environments. Be prepared to discuss specific upgrades you've performed and how you've optimised system performance in previous roles.
✨Demonstrate Problem-Solving Skills
Prepare examples of how you've diagnosed and resolved issues in both system and application areas. Discuss your familiarity with tools like Omegamon and Fault Analyzer, and how you've used them to enhance system reliability.
✨Emphasise Collaboration and Communication
Since the role involves working with global teams and vendors, be ready to talk about your experience in fostering collaboration. Share instances where your 'can-do' attitude helped bridge gaps between different functional users.
✨Discuss Your Approach to Documentation
Operational documentation is key in this role. Talk about your experience in developing best practices and run books, and how you ensure that knowledge is shared effectively, especially when upskilling junior programmers.
